With renal failure, physiological disturbance may occur within an animal system. Such disturbances may include failure of the system to fully excrete various body toxins and failure of the system to maintain homeostasis of water and required minerals. Dialysis treatments may be used to compensate for such renal failure.
Two types of dialysis therapies are commonly available, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis treatments typically utilize a hemodialysis machine, which operates as an external artificial kidney, to separate body toxins from the blood. A patient may be coupled to the hemodialysis machine by insertion of catheters into the patient's veins and arteries thus coupling the patient to the machine such that the patient's blood flow to and from the hemodialysis machine. In the hemodialysis machine, the blood engages a dialysate into which the blood toxins are transferred.
Peritoneal dialysis cleans the blood without removing the blood to an external system. Briefly, with peritoneal dialysis, a dialysate may be infused into a patient's peritoneal cavity through a catheter implanted in the cavity. The dialysis solution contacts the patient's peritoneal membrane and waste, toxins and excess water pass from the patient's bloodstream through the peritoneal membrane and into the dialysate. The transfer of the waste, toxins and water from the bloodstream into the dialysate occurs due to diffusion and osmosis, i.e., an osmotic gradient occurs across the membrane. The spent dialysate may drain from the patient's peritoneal cavity, removing the waste, toxins and excess water, from the patient. The cycle is repeated as necessary.
In a typical hemodialysis machine, blood may be separated from surrounding dialysate solution by a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane contains pores which may allow substances in normal molecular solution and the solvent to pass through the membrane, but it may be configured to prevent the passage of large molecules, such as high molecular weight proteins and cellular constituents of the blood. The membrane further may prevent the passage of bacteria. Since the apparatus operates by diffusion and osmosis, the dialysate solution, also referred to generally as dialysate, typically contains physiological concentrations of some membrane-passing dissolved normal constituents of the blood, such as various electrolytes. The dialysate also may include various concentrations of substances which may be desired to be introduced into the blood stream by diffusion, such as drugs, dextrose, etc.
In addition to the above membrane, the typical hemodialysis machine may include various pumps and sensors. Pumps, or bubblers, may be utilized to introduce oxygen into the dialysate so as to maintain the oxygen content of the blood in normal condition. Pumps may also regulate blood flow. Moreover, pumps may be provided to introduce additional substances, such as anticoagulants, into the blood. Pumped anticoagulants, such as heparin or citrate, may prevent clotting of the blood on surfaces that are in contact with the blood. In addition, the machines may include sensors, such as temperature sensors as well as heaters to maintain the dialysate at substantially the same temperature as the blood.
Although effective, a patient must adjust to various complications presented by dialysis treatment. For example, patients may have to travel to a dialysis treatment facility, such as a hospital or clinic, for the dialysis treatment. Since dialysis typically is required on a schedule, such as three or more treatments a week, such visits to the dialysis treatment facility may be time-consuming and limiting to a patient. For example, the dialysis treatments may limit a patient's ability to easily travel. For example, patients who select to travel may have to prearrange for a visit at a different facility. Such arrangements may be difficult, thus making travel for a dialysis patient complicated.
In some situations, dialysis treatments may be performed at home. Although, such home situations may be more convenient, the equipment may be of substantial size which may cause an inconvenience to the patient. Further additional equipment, such as a water purification system may be required. The water purification system may further complicate the process and require additional room further complicating home dialysis treatments.
It should be appreciated that typical dialysis machines may be of such a size to prevent portability. For example, some dialysis machines are substantially the size of a refrigerator, thus preventing easy portability. The lack of portability of such dialysis machines may limit life choices for a dialysis patient. For example, many dialysis patients, whether using home treatment or a dialysis treatment facility have to limit travel and other opportunities due to the required time and the limited choices for their treatments. It is noted that the time required for hemodialysis may vary. For example, in some systems, hemodialysis treatment may last about four hours. This substantial period of time and the necessity to use a treatment facility or a home-based non-portable unit prevents a patient from traveling, etc.
In addition to the time required for such dialysis treatments, the cost of dialysis provide additional complications, for the patient, the treatment facilities, health insurance companies, Medicare, etc. For example, treatment facilities have large expenses for maintaining and staffing the treatment facility.
In addition, the costs of dialysis itself may be expensive. In addition to the cost of the dialysis machines, recurring costs for dialysate and environmental waste may be cost prohibitive. For example, in conventional hemodialysis, a large amount of dialysate, for example about 120 liters, is used to dialyze the blood during a single hemodialysis therapy. The spent dialysate is then discarded. The large amount of used dialysate may increase the costs of dialysis. Additionally, costs may be increased due to the large amounts of purified water that are needed. For example, costs may be increased due to equipment to generate, store and use purified water.
Further, such dialysate, needles, and other medically-contaminated products, must be appropriately discarded, which may further increase costs of and time associated with dialysis treatment.